Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

New Goyer Guard vs. Firehose

It has been a while since we tested chafe gear (see PS October 2012), or since we described how to make your own chafe...

Verifying Material of Mystery Ropes

When buying rope from a store you verify its source with a glance at the spool and learn its composition, elasticity, and other characteristics...

Bottomless Lockers Be Gone

Storage is a challenge on small boats, and my new-to-me Corsair Marine F-24 trimaran was particularly Spartan this regard. The skinny hulls provided minimum...

Try a Barber Hauler for Better Sail Trim

If you can't position the jib clew exactly where you want it on all courses and in all weather, a barber hauler should be...

Online Help for Autumn

It's getting to be that time of year, when many skippers haul out or head south. Fall also heralds the beginning of boat show...

A Custom-fitted Clew Strap

After settling on the material, one of the most basic mainsail design questions is whether to have an attached foot or loose-foot. A sail...

Years Later, Mast Mate Still Riding High

Mast steps are a great help when going aloft, but they add weight where it hurts most (aloft), and halyards love to get stuck...

Controlling Motion: Two Case Studies

Securing a small boat between pilings in a wrong-sized slip is a common challenge. The dock line angles from the dolphins (outlying pilings) are...

Reducing the Nylon Rode Sling-shot Effect

Again we speak heresy! Practical Sailor has published at least four articles explaining why stretchy nylon bridles and snubbers are vital. But if the...

Make Your Own Over-the-Boom Riding Sail

Delighted with the performance of the over-the-boom riding sail, we decided to make our own. To measure, we outlined the proposed sail area with -inch...

The ALL NEW Catalina 426 Full Tour

The Catalina 426 is the latest addition to Catalina’s renowned fleet, designed for sailors seeking a blend of performance, comfort, and versatility. This 42-foot...

Latest Sailboat Review

MacGregor 26M Used Boat Review

MacGregor 26 has been a staple in the trailerable sailboat market for decades, and company literature claimed more than 7,000 of the original model...